Web Development :: Send-to-Phone Solution

Send to Phone: “How To” developer’s guide

send-to-phone-example
Overview
ZOS is committed to creating an industry standard for communicating location information in the Location-Based Service (LBS) ecosystem.

ZOS provides a cross–platform LBS solution for developers with our ZMS Standard (ZOS Messaging Service). ZMS is a highly adaptable, compressed, information packet that bundles location with content and travels on any global IP network.

FREE - Web Developer Solutions

ZOS provides a send-to-mobile / send-to-email widget that can be placed next to any physical address on websites, which enables that location to be sent to a phone.

When site visitors click on the send to mobile / email button a utility window opens (see examples, right). Users enter mobile numbers and/or emails and receive a pre-programmed message with a map route to the address.

  • Location “Send to phone” functionality

  • Ability to create a browser to mobile, mobile to browser instant messaging interface with embedded location information.

There are two methods for enabling the FREE send-to-phone utility for a website:

Static or Dynamic Content

Static is best used when there are only a small number of address on a website, and when the addresses and content being sent to a phone do not change. Please use the code generator below to produce code for a static address & content website.

Dynamic is a good fit for websites with a large number of addresses, where the addresses change frequently, and when new or changing content is being sent to the phone upon each use. An example of this may be a real estate or event website.

Field Variable Definitions

#FROM# - This is the “from” portion of the zhiing message that the user will see.

#ADDRESS# - This is the street address that you want to send in the message

#SUBJECT# - This is the subject of the message that will be sent.

#MESSAGE# - This is the message body to be sent to the device.

The following are optional parameters:

#LOGOIMAGE# - URL of custom logo image to be displayed in dialog. If this parameter and logoText are both absent, nothing is displayed.

#LOGOTEXT# - Text to be displayed in logo area in dialog. Ignored if logoImg is specified. Practically limited to XX characters or less.

#LOGOHREF# - URL of link address for custom logo image. Valid only if logoImg specified.

#ENTRYBG# - Color to be used for entry field background, specified as web color in RRGGBB format. Example: entryBg=fab619 Note: The current page design uses dark text, so lighter colors are best.

#PAGEBG# - Color for page background, specified as web color in RRGGBB format. Example: pageBg=fff0f0 Note: The current page design doesn't provide for dark colors -- colors close to white are best.

Instructions: Placing Code on Your Site

 

Static address & content:
  • To place a send-to-phone button on your site, fill out the Code Generator form, pick out your icon, and generate the code to embed.

  • The code can be copied from the Code Generator and pasted right into your website beside the physical address listed, which enables that location to be sent to a phone. It also let's users know what the button is for.
Dynamic address & content:

If you have a website that presents many address’ and they are dynamic in nature (i.e. Home Sale listings) you will want to utilize the send-to-phone embedded code with ‘substitution’. This also automates the delivery of website content that may be changing often.

  • As you read information from your database you take the above string and replace the following values with the values you want to have on that particular send to phone button.

  • Once each record has been processed take the resulting HTML code snippet on the page and then continue on to the next value.
Mobile Phone User's Experience

This Send-to-Phone experience is so much more than just sending a static address to a mobile phone. Smart Phones, BrowserEnabled Phones, and Feature Phones alike can each have rich navigation.

  • “Dumb” Phones can reply with their current address and receive turn-by-turn SMS directions.

  • Browser Enabled phones can open a map from a link for routing.

  • Smart Phones have the option to load the zhiing utility app, which enables interactive routing by automatically laying their route on many mapping systems.
  • When users do load the zhiing utility app, content from the website can be also be served into the deivce. From realtor contact information to daily restaurant specials, the possibilities are limitless.
  • Best of all, this utility is free for the Web Developers and the Mobile Users.

zhiing code generator

  • Registration

    Optional information to register with ZOS Communications and keep up-to-date with zhiing utilities
  • For non-standard installations, or if you are having difficulty with an installation, please click here for support.

  • Code Generation

    Use the area below to generate your static or dynamic zhiing Send-to-Phone script that you can place into your own HTML.

  • Choose Static to utilize the predetermined information you'll enter below. Dynamic scripts will use variable information provided by your server.



  • Example: This is our office location. Stop by and say hello. The ZOS team.

  • Example: ZOS Communications

  • Example: Directions to our office

  • Example: 121 Gray Avenue, Santa Barbara, CA 93101

  • Optional Fields

    Use these fields to enhance and customize the look of the send-to-phone window.

  • URL of 40 x 40 pixel image

  • If Logo Image is specified, it will link to this URL

  • Text to display in absence of Logo Image

  • Text is dark, so light colors work best.

  • Software License Agreement

  • Colors close to white work best.

  • Code